One or more aspects of the invention relate generally to entitlement for resources in a multi-computer or multi-resource system.
An important capability of modern computer systems is the ability to adjust the available processor and memory capacity, as well as features of other resources depending on requirements, in particular workload requirements. Today's computer systems, such as, e.g., the IBM System z or the IBM System p, provide the capability to activate and deactivate processing capacities in parallel to a normal system operation. This means that for reconfiguration purposes, the computer system does not need to be shut down and consequently rebooted. Instead, non-active physical capacities may be activated “on the fly” and may be controlled by so-called entitlement records that may be specific for a certain resource of the computer system. If a group of computer systems may be controlled by entitlement records, there may be a process to ensure that in sum not more resources are used in the complete ensemble of computer systems than related ensemble entitlement records may allow.
There are several disclosures related to entitlement systems.
For example, Document U.S. Pat. No. 8,253,552 B2, incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, discloses configuring functional capabilities in a data processing system comprising entitlement data in a non-volatile storage. The position of the data processing system is determined. Based on the position, functional capabilities change based on position information comprised in the entitlement data.
Document US2009/0319635 A1, incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, discloses a method, apparatus and program product for managing education entitlement data by storing entitlement data received from a plurality of application providers. Inventory data associated with a networked computing device or an application executable on the networked computing device is monitored. A delivery of the entitlement data to the networked computing devices is enabled according to the inventory data.
However, one element of entitlement management is to ensure that no resources of the computing devices may be used without a certified entitlement record. The manufacturer of the processor ensemble would like to ensure that no more resources in the computer ensemble may be used than allowed by ensemble entitlement records.